what am i missing when

CASE WHEN {duedate} = '' THEN 'ASAP' ELSE {duedate} END

isn’t firing for me? am sure it’s basic

I think it is because you are mixing return types, string and date. You have to specify which you are returning when you select Formula(Text) or Formula(Date). Also if the field is empty you should check for NULL, not ''. This is what you are asking for but since it turns the duedate into a string it will cause sorting issues. Formula(Text)

CASE WHEN {duedate} IS NULL THEN 'ASAP' ELSE TO_CHAR({duedate}) END

I'd suggest you use Formula(Date)

CASE WHEN {duedate} IS NULL THEN CURRENT_DATE  ELSE {duedate} END

@JasonH: ahh that would be it. thank you so much!